Podcast
CFO THOUGHT LEADER
Hosted by CFO THOUGHT LEADER · EN
The Source for CFO Thought Leadership
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
1087: Why Finance Needs a Seat at Every Table | Tony Jarjoura, CFO, Gigamon
Apr 9, 202500:50:35Tap to summarizeIt was the kind of boardroom moment that separates finance professionals from finance leaders. Tony Jarjoura, now CFO of Gigamon, found himself surrounded by audit committee members as a dense, highly technical tax strategy unraveled before them. Despite having pored over legal memos and internal reviews, the room still looked puzzled—until Tony spoke. In just two sentences, he distilled thousands of hours of technical effort into a clear, accessible takeaway. “That was the moment,” he tells us, “when I realized the power of translating complexity into clarity.”Read MoreTony’s journey to that moment began with a professor’s advice back in university: go Big Four, earn your CPA, and the world will open up. He took it to heart, spending 15 years at Ernst & Young in San Francisco, embedded in Silicon Valley’s IPO engine room. At EY, he wasn’t just crunching numbers—he was watching ideas travel from whiteboard sketches to billion-dollar listings. Companies like Atlassian, Okta, and Workday became case studies in how finance underpins innovation.When he stepped into industry during the COVID years, Jarjoura traded IPO war rooms for the operational depths of Gigamon. He jokes about never having recorded a journal entry before—but quickly embraced the inner mechanics of finance operations. Today, he views FP&A not as a rearview mirror but as a GPS system for business decision-making. “Finance has to be the connective tissue,” he says, “translating data into decisions that shape where we go next.”CFOTL: Tell us about Gigamon. What does the company do today?Jarjoura: We’re a technology company offering network visibility, observability, and analytics solutions across enterprise, service provider, and government organizations. Essentially, we give companies deep observability into the data packets flowing through their networks.We sell an appliance that you deploy within your network for packet brokering. It provides visibility and telemetry information on the data moving through the system. In addition to the physical appliance, we offer a virtual version that operates on-premise (behind the firewall) or in public or private cloud environments, delivering the same level of observability.Read MoreMost importantly, our cloud-based solution enables East-West visibility—critical for hybrid cloud infrastructure. There’s an increasing amount of nefarious activity happening within lateral movement, and having the right tools is essential for monitoring and securing those internal data packets.CFOTL: From your early assessment, what challenges and opportunities do you see in Gigamon’s financial structure—and how do you plan to address or leverage them?Jarjoura: When you’re private equity–owned, there’s an ROI model in place and very defined performance expectations. So being able to forecast accurately—and then measure against that forecast—is absolutely critical.With VC-backed companies heading toward an IPO, there’s often an emphasis on top-line growth, and the focus is typically on “up and to the right.” But in the private equity world, there’s equal focus on both top-line growth and bottom-line performance.The key is having a comprehensive understanding of how money is coming in, how it’s going out, and how that capital is being managed. (The goal is) to ensure that capital is being used efficiently to drive growth and transformation in line with our strategic trajectory.Gigamon | www.gigamon.com | Santa Clara, CAThe post 1087: Why Finance Needs a Seat at Every Table | Tony Jarjoura, CFO, Gigamon appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.
Transcribe →1086: M&A, AI, and the Art of Integration | Adam Ante, CFO, Paycor
Apr 7, 202500:42:28Tap to summarize“It wouldn’t surprise me. No, it would be exciting.”That was Adam Ante’s initial response when asked if five years from now, he could imagine himself still in the C-suite—but not as a CFO. The comment seemed to linger in the air, hinting at a deeper current in his career journey. Ante, who had led Paycor through an IPO, a pandemic, and most recently, a $4.1 billion sale to Paychex, wasn’t just closing out a CFO chapter—he may have been opening something entirely new.Read MoreWhile he later softened the sentiment, suggesting he might be surprised if he moved beyond finance, his earlier candor revealed a finance leader attuned to operations—and perhaps transformation.Years earlier, Ante had flown weekly to Colorado, struggling to integrate a newly acquired company. “I felt like I was failing,” he tells us. The lesson was hard-won: strategy and spreadsheets are meaningless unless you can move people with them. That shift—from financial executor to business operator—has defined his trajectory ever since.His strategic mindset matured further with Extreme Ownership, a book he credits with changing how he approached leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and results.Now, as the dust settles on Paycor’s acquisition, Ante’s priorities have shifted once again—to preserving what works, aligning teams, and honoring the customer experience. Whether he remains within Paychex or steps into an entirely new arena, one thing seems clear: Adam Ante’s career has always been more about ownership than titles.Forget about that impostor syndrome – it stems from an in-authentic leadership style. Find yours and lean in with your team. Focus on building relationships and removing hurdles. It will be a grind, and you won’t have all the answers, but when you can be yourself and build great relationships, everything gets easier.“Forget about that impostor syndrome—it stems from inauthentic leadership. Find your style and lean in with your team. Focus on building relationships and removing hurdles. It will be a grind, and you won’t have all the answers, but when you can be yourself and build strong relationships, everything gets easier.” —Adam Ante, CFO, PaycorCFOTL: As a CFO, you played a key role during this acquisition. What have been your priorities since Paychex announced the deal, and how will you measure success through this transition?Ante: Clearly, there are specific financial goals we’re focused on—revenue growth, cost savings, synergies, and the ability to unlock a new level of scale for our customers. But the first and most important priority is always the team. It’s about how we come together, making sure we have the right leaders in place who can align around our strategic objectives and execute effectively.Read MoreFrom there, it’s been about expanding our sales organization, continuing to invest in that area, and zeroing in on what we call the “moments that matter” for our customers. We want to deliver a seamless series of experiences that help our customers deeply engage with our product and feel confident in the service we provide. That’s how we reinforce our customer value proposition and how, ultimately, we’ll measure our success—by the strength of the team, the clarity of our execution, and the value we deliver to our customers.Paycor | www.paycor.com | Cincinnati, OHThe post 1086: M&A, AI, and the Art of Integration | Adam Ante, CFO, Paycor appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.
Transcribe →1085: The Strategic Power of Curiosity | Erik Rothschild, CFO, Cin7
Apr 2, 202500:43:30Tap to summarizeFresh out of a hedge fund analyst role, Erik Rothschild walked into an interview at a Chicago-based trading firm and did something unexpected—he pitched actual trade ideas to the portfolio manager across the table. That bold move earned him a spot on the team, and eventually, a portfolio of his own. “That whole experience taught me how to assess decisions through the lens of an investment,” Rothschild tells us. It’s a mindset that has quietly shaped every leadership decision he’s made since.Read MoreRothschild’s early career was forged in the high-stakes world of investment finance during the 2008 financial crisis. He later transitioned into corporate finance, helping build out the FP&A function at Sovereign. When the CFO unexpectedly departed, Rothschild found himself reporting directly to the CEO—presenting financial results to the board and leading a complex equity raise. “It was both exciting and stressful,” he recalls, “but I knew I had a window to gain experience that would last a lifetime.”What sets Rothschild apart is the investor’s mindset he brings to the CFO role at Cin7. He encourages his team to think in bets—evaluating risks, testing hypotheses, and acting decisively. He’s also a champion of simplicity and automation, challenging his team to reduce low-ROI cycles and focus on what matters most.“Don’t be afraid of change. There were several times I wished I had moved more quickly to do what I knew was right—never have I wished I had waited longer. Trust your instincts about what the right thing to do is, and if you need to make changes, don’t wait—take action!” —Erik Rothschild, CFO, Cin7CFOTL: Tell us about this company—what does it do, and what are its offerings today?Rothschild: Cin7 is an inventory and supply chain management software platform that helps our customers—primarily product sellers—integrate their entire inventory, sales channels, point of sale systems, and broader supply chain into one central system. They do this to optimize their business operations.As consumers, we know how easy it is to buy a product today—Amazon has a one-click buy button, right? But for the modern product seller, it’s a much more complex world. These businesses must manage multiple sales channels, which might include their own Shopify site, Amazon, Walmart, traditional retailers, or B2B customers—you name it. They also need to manage suppliers, oversee production processes, track inventory levels across warehouses, and understand profitability (by SKU, by product) across all of these channels. This is further complicated by tariffs and other global uncertainties.Read MoreOn top of that, they have to anticipate demand so they don’t miss revenue opportunities by running out of stock—or tie up valuable capital in overstocked inventory. Our platform is designed to help them manage all of that in one system, and scale with them as their business grows.Cin7 is primarily focused on serving small and midsize businesses (SMBs), and we work across most verticals and industries. We currently support more than 8,000 customers. The company was originally founded in New Zealand, and in 2019, our private equity sponsor, Rubicon Technology Partners, took a controlling stake and relocated the business to Denver—which is where we’re based today.Cin7 | www.get.cin7.com | Denver, COThe post 1085: The Strategic Power of Curiosity | Erik Rothschild, CFO, Cin7 appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.
Transcribe →1084: Reading the Signals, Not Just the Statements | Brian Carolan, CFO, SailPoint
Mar 31, 202500:41:53Tap to summarizeIt was a late-night meeting room lit by the glow of Excel spreadsheets and cluttered with half-empty coffee cups. Brian Carolan, then a rising finance leader, looked around the table and saw not just fellow accountants and analysts but a collection of people relying on him to bridge data and strategy. In that moment, he felt the weight of a CFO’s responsibility keenly. “Finance is never only about numbers,” Carolan tells us. “It’s about connecting the dots for everyone in the room.”Years earlier, he had traded the security of a Big Four firm for a nascent startup, learning quickly that growth rarely follows a neat script. One day, he might be projecting cash flow; the next, mending fractured vendor relationships. Each challenge Caloran tells us strengthened his conviction that adaptability drives sustainable success. He carried that lesson into a complex M&A deal, where he orchestrated integration across multiple departments. “M&A isn’t just consolidation,” Carolan tells us. “It’s a chance to redefine the culture, if you’re willing to listen.”As his influence grew, Carolan found that effective CFOs serve as translators—turning raw data into forward-looking stories. After a particularly tense board presentation, he recalls a mentor pulling him aside. “Numbers matter, but so does the narrative behind them,” the mentor said. That advice remained Carolan’s compass. In every leadership role since, he has championed an inclusive approach, ensuring finance is a unifying force that galvanizes operations, sales, and strategy under one clear vision. And that, Carolan tells us, is how real transformation takes root.CFOTL: Tell us about SailPoint. What does this company do, and what are its offerings today?Carolan: We’re in the broader cybersecurity space, specifically in a niche called identity security management. We manage access to applications and data across enterprise companies. We currently serve half of the Fortune 500 and are embedded in 25% of the Fortune Global 2000—we’ve built a who’s who list of logos.It’s been an incredibly interesting journey for SailPoint. The company was founded in 2005, so we’re approaching 20 years in the business. Over that time, we’ve become experts in what we do and are widely regarded as an industry leader.What’s evolved over time is the scope of identity security itself. It began with securing human identities—primarily employees. That expanded into securing third-party identities (still human), such as contractors and temporary workers. These identities also require protection.What’s becoming increasingly complex—and where we believe we’re well-positioned to lead—is in the rise of machine identities: service accounts, bots, and other non-human entities. And now, on the horizon, we’re seeing the emergence of agentic AI—artificial intelligence that will also require a layer of security.We’re still early in this non-human identity space, but we’ve built a strong foundation and track record in the human identity realm, and we’re excited for what lies ahead.SailPoint | www.sailpoint.com | Austin, TXThe post 1084: Reading the Signals, Not Just the Statements | Brian Carolan, CFO, SailPoint appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.
Transcribe →Ep 43: The ROI Equation for AI Starts Here
Mar 28, 202500:45:31Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Planning Aces, three forward-looking finance leaders share how they’re transforming planning and forecasting inside their organizations. CFO Kevin Rhodes of Extreme Networks discusses the dual lens through which he evaluates AI—external monetization and internal productivity. Brandon Sullivan, CFO of 2X, reveals how a post-PE investment reality check led him to pioneer a weekly reporting cadence to drive faster decision-making. Meanwhile, Gabi Gantus of Mytra AI draws on her Tesla FP&A roots to illustrate how finance can lead long-term operational planning. Brett Knowles joins Jack Sweeney to unpack key insights and the broader implications for FP&A.Co-host Brett Knowles envisions a future where no single function owns critical planning tools like the manufacturing roadmap. Instead, AI monitors trigger points across departments—spend, supply chain issues, engineering delays—and autonomously convenes the right people when action is needed.Kevin Rhodes outlines a dual-track AI strategy—externally, enhancing customer experience through embedded tools like Extreme AI Expert; and internally, boosting sales and operational productivity. He challenges organizations to rethink AI ROI: is it driving monetizable value, or creating product “stickiness” that enhances retention? Rhodes stresses that embedding AI in products without separate monetization still demands thoughtful ROI measurement. Internally, he sees AI helping reallocate workloads and drive efficiencies across sales, HR, and finance, unlocking measurable operational gains.After 2X secured PE funding, CFO Brandon Sullivan ramped up hiring in anticipation of explosive growth—only to face stalled revenue and margin erosion. The experience revealed a critical insight: monthly reporting was too slow to catch issues. Sullivan implemented a weekly cadence with both lagging and leading metrics, enabling faster course correction and eliminating surprises. His North Star is monthly MRR growth, and with structured, quick-access reporting in place, the team is now aligned, agile, and more accountable.Gabi Gantus reflects on her Tesla FP&A experience, where finance partnered closely with operations and even owned the long-term manufacturing roadmap. Her story illustrates how finance can go beyond traditional roles to drive strategic clarity. At Tesla, close alignment with engineering and operations enabled better forecasting and faster decision-making. Gantus believes finance should be a trusted internal partner—pushing hard behind the scenes so it can advocate credibly in front of leadership when it comes to resource allocation.The post Ep 43: The ROI Equation for AI Starts Here appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.
Transcribe →1083: Navigating the Go-To-Market Roadmap with Precision | Brian Robins, CFO, GitLab
Mar 26, 202500:46:35Tap to summarizeIt was a pivotal moment Brian Robins tells us he’ll never forget: stepping onto a makeshift stage to address some 400 employees just minutes before a key 8-K filing would publicly announce the potential sale of a major business unit. The room bristled with anxiety—people worried about their jobs and the future of the company. Robins recalls that, instead of relying on scripted talking points, he spoke from the heart and vowed to keep everyone informed as events unfolded. By offering that openness, he reinforced his belief that finance isn’t just about numbers, but about building trust and forging a clear path forward.Read MoreToday, that spirit of transparent communication fuels Robins’s approach as CFO. Above all, he prioritizes strong relationships across every organizational function, from sales and marketing to product and engineering. This is why go-to-market execution, he explains, has become the centerpiece of his strategic leadership. Robins embeds dedicated finance professionals alongside revenue-focused teams, helping to fine-tune territory splits, refine pricing, and calibrate product positioning based on real-time data.Rather than simply hand over spreadsheets, Robins wants his people to interpret the data, spark conversations, and push for proactive decisions. Driving growth, he tells us, hinges on blending finance acumen with operational insight—ensuring that each deal, each campaign, and each new product aligns with broader company objectives. By weaving financial facts into a collective narrative, Robbins transforms the go-to-market function from a standalone department into a central engine that powers sustainable, long-term value.CFOTL: Tell us about GitLab—what does the company do, and what are its offerings today?Robins: GitLab is (among) the most comprehensive DevSecOps platforms for creating software. We cover the entire software development life cycle. The way I love to explain it (to) a nontechnical person is this: before the iPhone, I’d go on a business trip carrying a duffel bag of electronics—a big yellow Walkman for jogging, a Garmin GPS for directions, and other devices. Then the iPhone brought everything into one seamless device with a great user experience. Similarly, GitLab is like the iPhone for software developers: we enable people (to) make software better, faster, cheaper, and more secure.Read MoreThis really shows across our customer base—about 50% of the Fortune 100 and roughly 25% of the G2 1000 rely on GitLab. Over the last fiscal year, we grew 31% with strong non-GAAP (gross) margins. All this is really attributed to (our platform’s) integrated approach.CFOTL: Looking ahead, what are your key priorities as CFO over the next 12 months?Robins: Let me start with our mission in finance: we provide critical business data that’s timely and factual to drive important decisions and add shareholder value. During our recent earnings call, we outlined three principles guiding the company, and I’m focused on supporting each.First, we continue adding ‘first orders,’ which means new business. We typically land relatively small, but customers stay with us for a long time—our net dollar retention rate from nine or ten years ago is about the same as it is from two years ago.Second, we’re increasing the value proposition for existing customers, often upgrading them from Premium to Ultimate (our highest-priced tier), which now makes up roughly 50% of our ARR thanks to its advanced security and compliance features.Third, we’re heavily focused on R&D innovation, especially around AI. Currently, we offer Duo Pro and Duo Enterprise, and we’re working to release Duo Workflow (our agentic AI) soon. These efforts all align with our goal of continuous innovation and added value for customers.GitLab | www.about.gitlab.com | San Francisco, CAThe post 1083: Navigating the Go-To-Market Roadmap with Precision | Brian Robins, CFO, GitLab appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.
Transcribe →1066: How Language Barriers and Data Shortfalls Propelled a Life in Numbers | Cosmin Pitigoi, CFO, Flywire
Jan 27, 202500:59:37Tap to summarizeArriving at a high school in Cape Town, South Africa, without speaking English, Cosmin Pitigoi faced an immediate communication challenge. Yet he refused to be deterred, immersing himself in language studies and expanding his vocabulary so he could thrive in the classroom. Years later, that same resolve reemerged in eBay’s IR function, where Pitigoi realized the company’s available data was falling short in communicating the breadth of eBay’s story. This time, Pitigoi immersed himself in the data, adding and fine-tuning metrics that would allow him to better convey eBay’s message.Before joining Flywire as CFO, Pitigoi spent two decades rotating through leadership roles at eBay and PayPal, building his finance acumen across treasury, investor relations, FP&A, and data analytics. “I never stayed in a single role for more than 18 months,” Pitigoi tells us, describing his drive to learn every facet of the business. By immersing himself in diverse functions, he honed both analytical and communication skills—critical for strategic decision-making.Read MoreAt eBay, the lack of comprehensive data became a new language barrier, prompting Pitigoi to advocate for stronger data architecture. “Numbers alone can’t tell a story unless they’re accurate and well-organized,” he tells us, underscoring his belief that precise, actionable information fuels effective narratives. This mindset ultimately shaped his approach to finance leadership: be as fluent in data as in interpersonal communication.Today, at Flywire, Pitigoi champions the idea that true value emerges when finance guides broader organizational goals. His journey from struggling to speak English in Cape Town to optimizing data-driven storytelling at a global fintech highlights a simple truth: conquering communication obstacles—whether linguistic or numeric—can spark remarkable career transformation.Every generation brings its own values and perspectives to the table that leaders can learn from, so adopt a reverse mentorship mentality and learn everything you can in every role to make a lasting impact—“leave a legacy”—at every step of your career. —Cosmin Pitgoi, CFO, FlywireCosmin’s CFO PlaybookRotates regularly through diverse functions, ensuring breadth of expertise and a deeper business perspective. Blends quantitative analysis with storytelling to communicate insights effectively and drive buy-in. Builds cross-functional trust by championing transparent communication and nurturing strong relationships. Seeks unifying metrics that align teams around shared goals and spur cohesive decision-making.CFOTL: Tell us about Flywire—what does this company do, and what are its offerings today?Pitigoi: Maybe I should start with the origin story, because I think that sometimes helps. Flywire started out (of) the need for international students who want to study abroad. Imagine a student in Europe heading to a U.S. university and saying, ‘I need to pay my tuition, but I’ve got euros and I have to convert them to dollars.’ If you’ve gone through that, you know the money often got lost along the way. The university couldn’t find the wire or link it back to the right student.Read MoreOut of that experience, we created software enabling a university to say, ‘I recognize this student, I need to convert euros into dollars, and then I must book it properly in my system of record.’ We’ve grown far beyond just that original challenge. We’re approaching half a billion dollars in revenue, with 1,300 employees. While we are a payments company at our core, we believe the real value lies in the software that drives operational efficiency—far more than simply processing payments.Education is one of our four verticals (alongside) travel, healthcare, and B2B. Whether you’re a travel agency or a small manufacturing business receiving large cross-border payments, you don’t want back-office headaches; you want software that can handle the conversion and reconciliation for you. That’s where Flywire’s platform comes in. We focus on receivables, delivering the software that solves these operational complexities. In a payments industry still figuring out how to ‘add value,’ we believe the answer lies in the software itself.Flywire | www.flywire.com | Boston, MAThe post 1066: How Language Barriers and Data Shortfalls Propelled a Life in Numbers | Cosmin Pitigoi, CFO, Flywire appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.
Transcribe →1065: The Accidental CFO: From Entrepreneurial Leader to the CFO Office | Stacy Tumarkin, CFO, Kubecost
Jan 21, 202500:45:59Tap to summarizeStacy Tumarkin unexpectedly found herself stepping into the CFO seat—twice—earning the moniker “The Accidental CFO.” Early in her career, she worked at a hedge fund, diving headfirst into uncharted responsibilities when a mentor urged her to stretch beyond strict accounting roles. “I was only 26 when I first became CFO,” Tumarkin tells us, recalling how imposter syndrome quickly followed. Despite her misgivings, she soon realized the best way to grow was to embrace discomfort and learn on the fly.A second twist came when she joined Kubecost as Chief of Staff, overseeing everything from support to finance. When the CEO asked her to serve as CFO yet again, she hesitated—still viewing herself as more of a people-first leader. But Tumarkin tells us that ownership of the finance function gave her a strategic seat at the table, allowing her to shape the company’s trajectory while drawing on her passion for operations and culture.Read MoreTumarkin’s strategic mindset revolves around aligning finance with organizational goals rather than letting numbers dictate the agenda. “Lead as a human first, and a finance person second,” she advises, emphasizing empathy and cross-functional teamwork. Instead of issuing rigid edicts, she prefers open dialogue, ensuring different teams see budgets as tools for smarter decisions rather than constraints.Through each “accidental” appointment, Tumarkin discovered imposter syndrome never disappears—it’s simply a companion on the journey. Ultimately, her strategic guidance helped shape Kubecost’s broader corporate path, culminating in the company’s acquisition by IBM—a milestone that further underscores her unique blend of entrepreneurial leadership and financial oversight.“I think a lot of people make the mistake of leading from the finance perspective, and what I’ve learned and seen is that being a human leader first and a finance person second is what really changes the game.” —Stacy Tumarkin, CFO, KubecostStacy Tumarkin’s CFO PlaybookLeads with empathy and relationship-building to align cross-functional teams. Embraces imperfection and rapid iteration over rigid, “perfect” processes. Combines financial rigor with the flexibility to adapt to unforeseen challenges. Prioritizes business goals and human factors before imposing finance solutions.CFOTL: Tell us about Kubecost—what is it, what does it do, and what are its offerings?Tumarkin: So our company, Kubecost, provides real-time Kubernetes cost visibility and optimization. If folks in your audience haven’t heard of Kubernetes, it is (an) infrastructure platform for automating and scaling modern software applications (that) use something called containers, which are (a) small, abstracted form of infrastructure. You can spin them up, run a process (inside), and then have them be ephemeral, so you can run a bunch of these all at the same time. That’s what Kubernetes allows—(it’s) what’s called horizontal scaling (of) a lot of these environments.Read MoreThe cost of using Kubernetes can often be a black box to those that are using it, and that results in huge monthly charges quickly if it’s not managed properly. Everyone’s moving to cloud-based infrastructure, and it’s really easy to just press that button and spin up an environment without (considering) what the cost is going to be. So what Kubecost does is empower the teams that are using Kubernetes to better understand and reduce their cloud costs, and then operate more efficiently as a result.What’s different about us, compared to other companies and products in the space, is that we’ve really started (out) and remained laser focused on solving Kubernetes pains and challenges since inception, and our primary hands-on user has always been kind of the software developer, not necessarily the finance person. But I can speak to that interplay in a minute.Kubecost www.kubecost.com San Francisco, CA The post 1065: The Accidental CFO: From Entrepreneurial Leader to the CFO Office | Stacy Tumarkin, CFO, Kubecost appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.
Transcribe →1064: Cybersecurity, AI, and the Evolving Finance Frontier | Russ Keefe, CFO, Corelight
Jan 20, 202500:57:35Tap to summarizeBack in the mid 1990s–when Russ Keefe decided it was time for a career pivot–he got behind the wheel. With a Jeep packed full of his belongings, he drove from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, father riding shotgun, to explore fresh opportunities in Silicon Valley. He had just completed a stint at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he gained a deep respect for transparency and learned the importance of full disclosure.Eager to drive business outcomes, Keefe immersed himself in tech, soon discovering a passion for FP&A and leadership. Early roles exposed him to sales operations, giving him a front-row seat to understand revenue streams and product strategies. “That was when I realized finance is so much more than keeping score—it’s about guiding strategic decisions,” Keefe tells us.Read MoreToday, as CFO of cybersecurity innovator Corelight, Keefe applies a forward-looking mindset to navigate hypergrowth markets. His background at the SEC informs his ethos of communicating frequently and candidly with stakeholders. Meanwhile, his operational experience shapes his focus on customer satisfaction, product differentiation, and consistent value delivery.Keefe tells us Corelight’s Net Promoter Score sits in the mid-60s, underscoring the company’s commitment to serving high-stakes clients in government, finance, and critical infrastructure. He believes finance leaders should be business people first—professionals who leverage financial expertise to power innovation and adaptability. His journey—beginning with a cross-country leap of faith—demonstrates that calculated risks, paired with transparent leadership, can yield results. Russ Keefe’s CFO PLaybookEmbrace full disclosure to cultivate trust and robust board relationships. Leverage cross-functional expertise for holistic business insights and execution. Balance strategic risk-taking with disciplined, data-driven decision-making. Foster a human-centered culture where finance empowers rather than polices.CFOTL: Tell us about this company—what does it do, and what are its offerings today?Keefe: I’m happy to tell you a little bit about it. Corelight is the leading cybersecurity company that is driving AI and machine learning to power network detection and response to help protect the world’s most critical data. Our roots started in the National Lab system, where our founders created a powerful open-source tool to help protect not only the entire U.S. National Lab system but (also) the Department of Energy. Read MoreOver time, these tools have been recognized and adopted by elite defenders throughout the U.S. government, the Five Eyes, NATO, and other U.S. allies. That eventually led us into large financial (institutions), critical infrastructure, technology, (and) manufacturing, which really has given Corelight access to customers most startups could only dream of having.These entities are protecting the world’s most critical data. I sort of say it this way: most of our customers aren’t worried about whether they’ll be attacked—they’re being attacked every single day. If it’s 9 a.m. Moscow time and they don’t see hackers hitting their network, they get worried, because every day at 9 a.m. Moscow time, the hackers start attacking them. And if they don’t see them, oh my gosh, where are they? Maybe they’re in (the network) and we don’t know. That’s the type of customer we have today, and we’re bringing that design pattern those elite defenders use to what I call the (mere mortals) of the Global 2000.Corelight | www.corelight.com | San Francisco, CAThe post 1064: Cybersecurity, AI, and the Evolving Finance Frontier | Russ Keefe, CFO, Corelight appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.
Transcribe →1063: From Banking to Building: One Leader’s Shift to Operations | Eugene Wong, CFO, Clara Analytics
Jan 15, 202500:52:47Tap to summarizeIt was shortly after Eugene Wong exited the banking world to advance into a senior operations role that he realized the importance of a holistic view. At one meeting, he uncovered a disconnect between product and sales teams that threatened a strategic initiative. By stepping in and aligning priorities, he emerged as a “quarterback,” bridging perspectives and clarifying responsibilities.This revelation set the tone for Wong’s career journey. Originally honing his financial acumen at Silicon Valley Bank, he gained close exposure to startup ecosystems and leveraged finance transactions. Later, he pursued an MBA, joined Goldman Sachs to build on transactional capabilities, and returned to Silicon Valley Bank in a senior role. Ultimately, he stepped into the fast-paced realm of growth-stage companies, seeking to become a true financial operator.Read MoreToday, Wong serves as CFO of Clara Analytics, where he orchestrates data-driven decision-making and fosters cross-functional collaboration. “You can’t stay behind spreadsheets,” Wong tells us, “you have to understand what each team does day in and day out.” By meeting regularly with department leads, he ensures finance is a trusted partner rather than a distant overseer.Wong credits his “big-picture” focus for having sharpened his resource allocation instincts. “Anytime you spend money or time in one place,” Wong tells us, “you’re making a bet you can’t place elsewhere.”Eugene Wong’s CFO PlaybookHolistic View: Prioritizes cross-departmental insights to preempt silos and align objectives. Resource Allocation: Uses clear frameworks to balance growth, profitability, and innovation. Operational Agility: Embraces iterative decision-making to respond quickly to shifting market dynamics. People-Centric Approach: Champions open communication and empowers teams to think strategically.CFOTL: Tell us about this company—what does it do, and what are its offerings today?Eugene Wong: “Clara Analytics was founded in 2017 as a (growth-stage) Series C AI SaaS company focused on casualty lines of business…(We) serve both large insurance carriers and smaller self-insured organizations looking to optimize workers’ compensation and general liability claims.Read More Our AI tools (provide) predictive insights for claims adjusters, helping them prioritize tasks more efficiently. We also offer document intelligence, which quickly scans and extracts data from (hundreds) of pages, streamlining workflows. In all, we’re like a co-pilot—enhancing human judgment with AI-driven guidance—and our customers typically see a five- to ten-times return on investment within a year.”Clara Analytics www.claraanalytics.com Sunnyvale, CA The post 1063: From Banking to Building: One Leader’s Shift to Operations | Eugene Wong, CFO, Clara Analytics appeared first on CFO THOUGHT LEADER.
Transcribe →